Written by
Andreas Klasen

Andreas Klasen is Professor of International Business at Offenburg University, Honourary Senior Fellow at Durham University and Visiting Fellow at Newcastle Business School. His research focuses on trade finance, economic development and business ethics. As a partner with ATRx, he regularly acts as a senior advisor for trade policy and economic development, in particular for multilateral development banks and governments in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He also has long-standing experience in WTO disputes. Previously, Andreas was a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers and PwC’s Economics & Policy leader, as well as Managing Director of the official German Export Credit and Investment Insurance Agency. Until 2014, he also served as the Vice President of the Berne Union.

Exceeding the global average in past years with an expectation to further accelerate, Africa is experiencing unprecedented economic growth. Foreign trade contributes considerably to the sustainable development of the continent’s economies. The opening up of trade in a multilateral trading...